The use of VLAN's has become more commonplace in network environments. Although Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP) provides for different domains and multiple topologies, there are instances when multiple topologies are not desirable, such as for cost considerations or other factors. A large problem with the Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) is that topology changes cause the forwarding tables to be flushed for all VLAN's on the switch. This is not always desirable and not necessary and it is desirable to solve this technical problem without having multiple topologies in the network environment.